American Dad Season 8 Review “Can I Be Frank With You?”

American Dad Season 8 Review “Can I Be Frank With You?”

American Dad is a show built for delivering absurdity, and absurdity is exactly what “Can I Be Frank With You?” offers. Sure, it’s a combination of two ideas that could be completely hack premises: the suddenly-topical-again boy band, and the well-worn family sitcom conflict of “husband wants time with his male friends.” Where both lead, however, are distinctly American Dad in their straight-up wackiness and poor taste.

Let’s start with Steve’s boy band. Snot’s uncle is a skeevy record producer of the Lou Pearlman variety, except somehow even sadder. This plot doesn’t really pick up until we meet the other two boy bands with whom Steve’s will be merging to create “Boyz 12.” They make a music video that’s perfect in its insanity, and packed full of weird little side-jokes, like 11 who’s in love with 7, and the one that is very clearly a girl in baggy clothing. Also, there are cyborg eyes, and Toshi is blonde. Then, of course, the producer kills himself, to which Snot’s mother, presumably the man’s sister, just replies, “Told ya so.” It’s exactly the level of harsh I’ve come to expect from the show. Read More...